I need to replace the fixture for my shower. So I will be shutting off the main water supply to the house.

Will I need to turn off my gas water heater also? I know after I shut off the main I will need to turn on the cold water to drain it. I assume I should also turn on the hot.

Will turning on the hot water drain all the water from the gas water heater? Does that mean I should shut down my gas water heater also?

Terry

Shut off the main valve and release pressure from system by opening a hot and cold faucet in an upper level bath. Once pressure is stabilized, water will not flow. No need to drain HW or turn off gas.

Hi Terry

If you shut off the cold water main that will in effect shut the hot water off as well (cold water feeds the hot water heater). Open all faucets in the home to drain things off so you can work on the shower fixture and you should be all set without having to touch the water heater. If, however, you notice water dripping from the lowest fixture for an extended period AND you find that it is hot water then you may be siphoning the tank and will need to shut the cold water feed into the water heater to stop this... very, very rare here!

If you find cold water dripping from the lowest fixture for an extended period then that means that the main water shutoff is not working properly and will need to be replaced at some point... ;)

Mark

Thank you "ma0641" and Mark.

I assumed that I would need to shut off the water heater because it would drain when I turned on the water after shutting the main.

It sounds like you are both saying that there is not need to shut the water heater because the water heater won't be completely drained.

Terry

Correct... ;)